


release the dove, surrender love

by tia37



Series: rotting corpses [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-15 05:17:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13024035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tia37/pseuds/tia37
Summary: A look at Shuichi and Kokichi's relationship before Team Danganronpa.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my attempt at fluff.
> 
> Shut up. I _know_. I do not want to hear it.

Their first meeting was under the stars.

The Tragedy was still going on in full force. Shuichi had just lost his parents to a mob inflicted with despair that afternoon. They shoved Shuichi in a locker and attempted to lead the mob away from their only son. He could only watch from inside the locker as his parents were beaten to death.

He waited until night fell and the despair-filled people wandered away to come out of the locker. His parents' bodies had been looted by other people, leaving nothing he could take as a memento. Not their wedding rings (engraved with their names on the inside of the ring), or his mother's necklace (that his father gave his mother on their tenth anniversary). He would forever remember his parents in their last moments, a mob descending on them and bashing their skulls in.

Shuichi's parents deserved a burial at least, to prevent the mob from desecrating their bodies any further. But Shuichi had already searched the area thoroughly. There were no shovels around for miles on end, so he decided to do the next best thing.

He dragged their bodies into the open field. Then, he crouched in the dirt and dug with his bare hands.

It was harder than it looked. The ground did not give at first, but the deeper he dug the wetter the soil became. Dirt and mud went underneath his fingernails, but he could not bring himself to care. He dug for what seemed like hours, but the hole did not seem to grow any bigger.

A shadow loomed over him. He ignored it and continued digging.

"It's not safe to be out so late," the boy said.

Shuichi continued digging. If this stranger wanted to rob or kill him, he could not care less. At least he would die being a good, filial son. 

"Let me help," the boy offered. Without waiting for Shuichi's reply, he crouched down beside the other boy and dug with his hands as well. They did not exchange words, choosing instead to focus on digging as fast as possible.

In a way, the silent company was comforting. 

The grave was a little shallow for Shuichi's tastes, but it would have to do. There was no time for them to be sticking around when there was still a possibility that the mob would return and find them. Shuichi dragged his parents into the grave (side by side, holding hands, because they loved each other and would want to be together in death) and pushed the dislodged soil over the bodies. He patted the soil down and stood up, brushing the dirt off his hands as he did so.

His job was done. He turned to leave.

"Wait," the boy called. Shuichi stopped in his tracks. "My name is Ouma Kokichi. What's yours?"

"...Saihara Shuichi."

"Saihara-kun. Or is it Saihara-senpai?"

"Anything is fine," Shuichi replied.

"Saihara- _chan?_ "

Shuichi did not reply. At least it was not his first name.

"Hey, Saihara-chan. If you don't have anywhere to go, you can come with me," Ouma pressed.

"I can find my uncle," Shuichi said.

"Not in the middle of the night." When Shuichi still did not reply, Ouma sighed exasperatedly. "Look, it's just one night. Stay, rest, recharge. You can leave the next morning."

Shuichi gave in. "Alright," he said, and led himself be led dragged away. Ouma's hand coated with dirt and grime, but it was surprisingly warm.

* * *

 

He learnt a lot of things about the boy during that night together.

He learnt that the group of youngsters that lived in the hideout called themselves DICE, and that they were a group of pranksters before The Tragedy. Ouma, for some reason, was their leader. He learnt that DICE had been living on the streets even before The Tragedy, so they were adept at hiding and stealing to survive.

He learnt that Ouma was indeed younger than him (fifteen to Shuichi's seventeen). When Ouma asked Shuichi if he wanted to be called 'Saihara-senpai', he could not stop his hysterical laughter for an entire minute. Hearing that out of the smaller boy's mouth just sounded... wrong.

It was strange. In any other situation, he would probably feel at least a little offended if someone referred to him with a feminine suffix. But he loved the way Ouma said his name, so he brushed it off. In fact, he welcomed it. 

He left the hideout the next morning feeling significantly better. The grief was still there and would likely take a long time to subside, but Ouma's presence eased the pain ever so slightly.

_(He did not cry. He could not cry.)_

* * *

 

Even after Shuichi found his uncle, he found himself returning to DICE's secret hideout.

It was just to repay the kindness shown to him that night, Shuichi told himself. But one visit led to another, and soon Shuichi found himself with DICE every other day. He clung to Ouma because he was most familiar with the small boy, but judging by the looks everyone gave him they knew something he did not.

(Or maybe he did know, he just did not want to acknowledge it.)

* * *

 

They did not fall in love under the stars. They fell in love gradually, in a secret underground hideout surrounded by ten other teenagers, yet somehow it felt like their safe haven. They fell in love gradually but to Shuichi it was sudden because one night Ouma was his friend and suddenly he wasn't.

"Saihara-chan, I like you," the younger boy looked at Shuichi in the eyes and said. Ouma had a track record of lying sometimes, but Shuichi knew in his heart that he was telling the truth. "I know that there's a chance you don't reciprocate my feelings, but I need to tell you. I don't want to..." Ouma clenched his fists. "I don't want to wake up one day and regret that I never told you how I felt about you."

"Ouma-kun..." Shuichi started, but he fell silent. He was not sure what to say. No one had ever confessed to him, let alone during a nationwide apocalypse. His mind went blank as he scrambled to search for the right things to say.

A long, awkward silence stretched between them. Ouma forced himself to unclench his fists and stretched his mouth into a too-wide grin. "I understand! Farewell, Saihara-kun. It was nice meeting you." He turned away quickly, but Shuichi caught the way he bit his lower lip and held back his tears.

Before Shuichi could think, he reached out and grabbed Ouma's wrist. "Wait!"

A beat. Two. Shuichi could hear Ouma's heavy breathing, before he heard the hitch in his breathing and realized that Ouma was actively trying to fight back tears. He had gathered all his courage to confess his true feelings to Shuichi, and Shuichi hurt him by taking too long to respond.

The realization that he was hurting Ouma the more time he took to respond made him blurt out the first thing on his mind. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised. I... like you too, Ouma-kun."

Slowly, Ouma turned to look at Shuichi. There were indeed tears in his eyes, but now there was disbelief written all over his face. Shuichi reached down to cup the younger boy's cheek. He brushed away the first tear that fell from Ouma's eyes with his thumb.

Their lips pressed together. When they broke apart, Shuichi licked his lips. Ouma tasted sweet.

Ouma's face crumpled. "I'm so happy, Saihara-chan. I never thought I'd survive The Tragedy, let alone find someone who likes me as much as I like them." Tears were falling freely down his face now, so Shuichi enveloped the smaller boy into a tight hug, pressing Ouma's face into his chest.

After some time, Shuichi let go and reached down to squeeze Ouma's hand. "We'll survive The Tragedy together. And please, call me Shuichi."

Ouma blushed and looked away. Shuichi secretly thought he looked adorable, face flushed under the moonlight. "V-very well. Then you should call me Kokichi. Boyfriends should use first names with each other, right?"

Shuichi smiled shyly. In the dim moonlight under the stars, with his hand in Kokichi's, he felt invincible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> I don't know if you guys know, but it's considered pretty rude to refer to someone by the wrong honorific in Japan. If you're in school and you meet someone a year above you, you have to call them -senpai or -san. Same age or younger is -kun (for guys) and -chan (for girls) or -san for both genders if you want to be super polite. So Ouma was asking if Saihara was older or younger than he was to start a conversation, but Saihara was just not in the mood. So Ouma tried to provoke him into saying something by referring to him with the feminine suffix -chan, but at the same time he did not use Saihara's first name because that would be super rude to do with a stranger. So -chan stuck.
> 
> Does that make sense? Sorry if it doesn't. Subtle cultural nuances are hard.


	2. Chapter 2

Officially, The Tragedy was over. The Future Foundation had restored order in town a few weeks ago, so now everyone had to resume attending school. Almost everyone was held back by two years so at the age of eighteen Shuichi started attending his second year of high school. Meanwhile, Kokichi had taken to walking Shuichi to school every morning and back home in the evenings. Not that Shuichi minded, but...

"Kokichi? Why aren't you in school too?" Shuichi asked. Shuichi understood if he dropped out of school after middle school before the Tragedy, but Kokichi was sixteen going on seventeen. If Shuichi was correct, he should be in his third year of middle school post-Tragedy. Yet the other boy seemed to spend all his time with Shuichi and the other members of DICE.

Now that he thought about it, did the other members of DICE attend school too?

For a moment, Kokichi's face drained of all visible emotion. He just stared at Shuichi with a blank expression, as if arranging an answer carefully in his head. Knowing Kokichi, he probably was. After a few moments, Kokichi's grin spread a little too wide. "I'm the supreme leader of an evil secret organization! I don't need to attend school!"

Shuichi grabbed Kokichi's slender hand and squeezed it. "Please just tell me the truth. I won't think any less of you, I promise."

Again, Kokichi look at Shuichi with a blank expression, devoid of emotion. He held Shuichi's gaze for a few seconds before breaking away. "...I'm not a Japanese citizen."

"Eh?" That was not the answer Shuichi was expecting.

"I'm not a citizen of any country. My birth isn't recorded in any official documents. None of us do," Kokichi explained.

"So you never got the chance to attend school," Shuichi finished. 

Despite the sting of his parents' death, Shuichi remembered them fondly. Sure, his parents were not perfect, but they put in effort into raising their only son. Shuichi did not ask for much, but what he did ask for his parents provided almost immediately. They made an effort to spend time with him on weekends and they were always supportive of him, even after he came out to them. They even went as far as to give their lives to protect their son.

He knew that Kokichi was an orphan, but he thought that he would have at least experienced parental love early on in his life. To never have had that...

Shuichi reached for his hat to hide his expression.

"Don't look so sad!" Kokichi exclaimed. He ducked under Shuichi's hand so that his face was close to his boyfriend's. Shuichi's sadness was immediately replaced with mild embarrassment. Even though Kokichi was his boyfriend, he was still flustered by prolonged physical contact. "DICE is my family. I wouldn't give them up for world! Besides, it's not like we're illiterate. I take unwanted textbooks and study them sometimes, then I teach what I learnt to the rest of them."

Shuichi blinked. "I... see. That's actually rather impressive."

"Shuichi just underestimates me!" Kokichi complained as he pulled away. In a way, he was right. Shuichi did make the mistake of underestimating the younger boy often, and he vowed to never do that again.

Shuichi tapped his chin in contemplation. "But since The Tragedy occurred, I bet administration is a mess. You could... claim to be a Japanese citizen by saying that your documents were lost during The Tragedy. Then you and the rest of DICE could gain citizenship."

Kokichi pouted. "Aww, but that would mean I have to attend school. That's boring."

One thing Shuichi knew about his boyfriend was that he was stubborn. When he set his mind on something, it was rare that he would change it. However, there were a few things that could change his mind. It was a dirty move, but if it got Kokichi to listen to him... "Think about it this way. You could be attending school with _me_."

* * *

 

Their plan backfired. Shuichi's school was at its maximum capacity, so they could not accept Kokichi and Mika (the only other DICE member who passed the high school entrance exams, the rest of them went to middle school). Kokichi whined when he found out that he would be going to the neighboring high school instead, but a good smack from Mika put him into place.

"Attending school is a small price to pay for citizenship rights, dumbass." Mika turned to Shuichi and bowed deeply. "Thank you for taking care of this idiot here, Saihara-san. Please use condoms, you don't know where he's been."

"Mika!" Kokichi shrieked, and Shuichi burst into laughter as they started mock wrestling.

A family, huh? Even if he had lost his parents, Shuichi was not alone. The world was recovering from despair, slowly but surely. He had his uncle and friends in school and Kokichi, and now even DICE was welcoming them into their ranks. Maybe... maybe it would really be alright in the end.

 

* * *

 

"Shuichi, I have something for you." Kokichi threw something at Shuichi, who caught it in his hands.

"A gun?" Shuichi turned it around it his hands. He did not know much about guns so he could not tell the make or model of the gun, but judging by the weight of the gun and the fact that it had bullets inside, it was probably real. The grip of the gun his initials _S.S._ engraved on it.

Kokichi shuffled around nervously. "Since we're attending different schools now, I can't always be there to protect you. Just keep it around, okay? It... puts my mind at ease."

Shuichi stared at the gun in his hands, then at his boyfriend. Without thinking, he pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug. "Thank you, Kokichi." He felt Kokichi stiffen for a split second before wrapping his arms around Shuichi's waist. They stayed like this for a few seconds before pulling apart. "Where did you get the gun?"

"Everyone in DICE has a gun. We used to loot them off the dead bodies, you know, back during The Tragedy. But it was a hassle to craft bullets of different sizes for the different guns, so I took them apart and studied their interior structure, then made my own."

It took a while for Shuichi to process that statement. "You made your own ammo, then you made your own guns," he deadpanned.

"I mean I haven't had time to upgrade my own pistol yet but, yeah, the guns DICE members carry are made by me." Kokichi started fidgeting again. "Is that... bad?"

"No! It's not bad, it's just very surprising. You're very smart, Kokichi."

Kokichi smiled thinly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes. "Thanks, Shuichi." Before Shuichi could ask his boyfriend what upset him, Kokichi had already changed the subject and started chattering on about how he made the gun. There were a lot of technical terms that Shuichi could not keep up with, so he found himself tuning out the lecture and thinking about Kokichi's reaction.

What had he said that upset his boyfriend?

 

* * *

 

Shuichi woke up abruptly when he heard a crash from outside his apartment. He grabbed the gun Kokichi gave him from under his pillow and cracked open his door, his heart pounding as he did so. The Tragedy may have been over, but crime was still rampant on the streets and it was not unheard of for houses to be ransacked in the middle of the night.

Why today, of all days? Shuichi's uncle was in another part of Japan for the week, helping the Future Foundation rid the rest of Japan of despair. In other words, Shuichi was alone. He forced himself to still his breathing and calm his mind. If he was alone, all the more to steady himself and gather the courage to fight back. The shadow seemed distracted, so Shuichi seized the chance to fling open the door and shoot at it. Except when the mysterious person yelped, Shuichi felt his heart drop. He knew that voice.

"Kokichi?!" Shuichi dropped the gun and ran to his boyfriend's side, inspecting the wound in his arm.

"Just a scratch," Kokichi reassured him, but when Shuichi twisted his arm to take a closer look at the wound, he winced.

Shuichi checked the wound frantically. Kokichi was right, the bullet just grazed the skin of his left arm, but it could have been much worse. He could have shot Kokichi and left a bullet wound, or worse, shot him in some place vital. He sucked in a shaky breath as he stammered out his apologies. "I'm sorry, Kokichi. I'm so sorry, I should've checked before I shot the gun, I should've-"

Kokichi shushed him. "It's not your fault. It's normal to shoot at someone invading your apartment in the middle of the night. I'd rather you shoot me now rather than hesitate when someone who actually wants to kill you breaks in and you hesitate in shooting them."

While Kokichi was right, it did not change the fact that he shot at his boyfriend. He pressed an apologetic kiss to Kokichi's forehead and helped him to the couch to rest and recover. Shuichi went to the kitchen to grab the first aid kit and when he returned, Kokichi had already stripped himself of the top of his school uniform. Normally, Shuichi would find himself blushing and stammering, but when he set his eyes on Kokichi's bare chest he found himself holding back a gasp.

There were a multitude of bruises decorating his upper body. They spread from his stomach all the way up his right arm. Judging by how some some bruises peeked over the top of his pants, there were probably more wounds on his lower body as well.

"They're the reason I'm here," Kokichi admitted. "Someone who held a grudge jumped me just as I got home. It took a while for me to shake them off."

"What about the rest?" Shuichi asked.

Kokichi pinched his lips and remained silent.

"...I'm sorry, Kokichi." And he was. As the leader of DICE, Kokichi cared a lot about his friends. He would be hurt if anything happened to them. Besides, Shuichi had only recently started to warm up to the other members of DICE. They were his friends now too, and he cared about them as well. 

Kokichi looked away. "They're not dead or anything like that. There was no blood back home, so they probably escaped."

"They've spent years on the streets and survived The Tragedy. I'm sure they're fine," Shuichi reassured.

"Yeah, you're right," Kokichi murmured. "I'll go to school tomorrow to see if Mika turns up."

Shuichi stroked his boyfriend's hair in an attempt to comfort him. Kokichi leaned into his touch and closed his eyes. "Why would someone hold a grudge against you? You're... just a teenage boy."

Kokichi had obviously prepared his answer beforehand. "I told you before, Shuichi! I'm the Supreme Leader of a secret, evil organization."

"You can trust me, you know."

"I know." Kokichi buried himself into Shuichi's chest. Before long, his lithe body was wrecked with silent sobs.

That was all the answer he was getting from Kokichi tonight. Shuichi did not press the issue, instead choosing to thread his fingers through Kokichi's. Whatever secrets the other boy held, Shuichi would wait for him to be comfortable enough to tell him. After all, they survived the Tragedy. They had all the time in the world to learn about each other.

Shuichi tucked the top of Kokichi's head under his chin and rocked him until he fell asleep.

* * *

 

The next day, Shuichi walked Kokichi to school. They refrained from holding hands and referred to each other by their surnames, but sometimes Kokichi would accidentally brush against his hand or step a little too much into his personal space and it made Shuichi's heart soar.

Mika did not turn up at school. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouma had plans for weapons and other stuff in his room. They could have been designed by Iruma, but... a lot of those were found to be nonsensical on purpose. That meant that Ouma at least had some knowledge on how to design weapons.
> 
> Also, the best gift you can give to Saihara in game is 'Gun of Man's Passion' or something. I don't know about you folks, but Man's Passion seems pretty gay to me.


	3. Chapter 3

Kokichi had skipped school for the past few days, camping in Shuichi's room because it was not safe to be alone now that DICE headquarters had been attacked. He spent his free time drawing plans that seemed nonsensical to Shuichi, but were actually drafts of possibilities that happened that night. He left his boyfriend to his planning and tried to do his schoolwork, but he could only concentrate for ten minutes before he started thinking about DICE's whereabouts again. He wished he was of more use to his boyfriend, but all he could do was provide Kokichi food, water and remind him to sleep.

They were so caught up in worrying about DICE that they forgot about Shuichi's uncle. In hindsight, Shuichi should have asked Kokichi about their awkward living situation before his Uncle came back, but when he heard keys turn in the lock he knew it was a little late.

"Shuichi? I'm back!" His uncle called. One of his eyebrows rose when his eyes settled on the smaller boy sitting opposite Shuichi at the dining table, doodling some sort of elaborate plan that made no sense.

"Uncle." Shuichi greeted. He sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. It was now or never. "This is my b-boyfriend, Ouma Kokichi."

Kokichi's eyes widened slightly, imperceptible to all but those who were paying attention. He stood up from his seat and bowed a little to hide his surprise. "Nice to meet you, Saihara-san."

Shuichi's uncle blinked. "Oh, okay. Nice to meet you, Ouma-kun. Do you boys need condoms?"

Shuichi's face colored. "Uncle!"

"Actually, Saihara-san, I do need a favor from you," Kokichi replied. "I do not mean to impose, but my house was broken into recently and I was hoping I could stay with you and your nephew until I am sure it is safe."

"If that's the case, you're free to stay as long as you like." Shuichi's uncle grimaced. "There's been a string of kidnapping cases recently, so it's not safe to stay alone. They're targeting high school students like you two, so be careful."

"Yes, Uncle. Thank you."

Shuichi's uncle turned to his room to get some rest, but Kokichi stopped him. "Wait. Those kidnappings... have you found the culprit?"

There was a look of understanding and slight pity in his eyes as he replied. "We know who the culprit is but we haven't caught them. They call themselves Team Danganronpa. Their motives are unknown, but..." Shuichi's uncle trailed off, but he did not need to continue for the two boys to fill in what he was thinking.

They were spreading despair.

Kokichi dipped his head. "I understand. Thank you, Saihara-san." Under the table, Shuichi saw his fists clench tightly.

 

* * *

 

Since Shuichi's uncle came back, he made them stay in different rooms at night. They took turns, one sleeping in Shuichi's room while the other slept in the living room. Tonight, however, Kokichi had somehow found his way into Shuichi's room. The bed dipped under Kokichi's weight as he crawled seductively towards his boyfriend. 

Kokichi lifted his boyfriend's chin with one finger and licked his lips. "Shuichi, distract me."

"What do you mean...?" Shuichi could not finish that thought as Kokichi leaned in for a deep kiss. All thoughts scattered from his mind as Kokichi nibbled his lower lip, his tongue poking Shuichi's mouth for entrance. He did not understand what Kokichi meant by distracting him, but he was not going to stop the smaller boy.

Shuichi wrapped one hand around the back of Kokichi's neck and deepened the kiss. The other boy tasted like a certain sugary sweet carbonated drink he loved so much, but Shuichi did not care. He broke the kiss and leaned forward, using his body weight to press Kokichi onto the bed. Kokichi looked at him with hooded eyes and tugged at his collar, exposing his bare collarbone. Growling, Shuichi pulled Kokichi's shirt off him and took the time to admire his boyfriend's bare top. He traced Kokichi's collarbone with his index finger, reveling in the way Kokichi moaned when he stopped at the pulse of his neck.

"It's not fair if I'm the only one laid bare," Kokichi said as he hooked his fingers under Shuichi's shirt and pulled. Shuichi took off his shirt obediently and flung both their shirts in a corner. 

Then Kokichi reached down to tug at his waistband, and he understood.

"Kokichi, no. We shouldn't," Shuichi said as he pulled away.

"Why not? Do you not desire me, Shu-i-chi~?" Kokichi said in a singsong manner.

The truth was, Shuichi did want to go further with Kokichi. The furthest they had gone was kissing without their shirts on, but their hands never wandered below the belt no matter how aroused they got. Most of the time Kokichi was the one to stop them before things got too far, pulling apart abruptly and panting heavily with a panicked look in his eyes. Shuichi never pressed his boyfriend for sex or answers, and that would not change even if Kokichi was the one initiating it.

"You're underaged," was the first thing that came to his mind, but it was obviously not the real answer. "And... I don't think you're thinking straight," Shuichi admitted.

Kokichi pouted, drawing attention to his slightly swollen lips. "Aww, are you insinuating that I'm immature?"

"You're not immature, Kokichi," Shuichi reassured, resting a hand over his boyfriend's. "You're just influenced by DICE's disappearance. I know it hurts, but this isn't the right way to deal with these feelings."

In that moment, all emotion drained from Kokichi's body language. He stilled, looking at Shuichi with a blank expression. Then he went to pick up his shirt and put it on. "Whatever. I'm going back. You can walk to school alone tomorrow."

* * *

The walk to school was lonely without Kokichi beside him. He had gotten so used to the other boy's presence that not having him by his side was slightly unnerving.

Within the past few months, Kokichi had become important to him. He cared about Kokichi a lot and would do anything to make the other boy feel happy, which was why he never pressed Kokichi for any answers. He knew the smaller boy kept his secrets close to his chest, but more than once he wished Kokichi would share his burdens with his boyfriend. The most he could do was hold Kokichi's hand in silent support as the other boy drew plan after plan to save his family. And what had Shuichi done? He had pushed Kokichi away when the other boy needed him the most.

Shuichi made up his mind. He would go and find Kokichi and apologize after school ended. And maybe they could continue last night's events...

He flushed, pulling his cap down to hide his embarrassment.

A black van pulled up beside him. In hindsight, he should have started running and never looked back. But he was so caught up in his thoughts of Kokichi that he did not notice the people jump out of the van and head toward him before it was too late. One of them grabbed Shuichi by the shoulder and _pulled_ , and Shuichi stumbled right into their arms.

Immediately, Shuichi pulled out his gun from under his school sweater and shot one of them in the stomach. That person hollered and crouched on the ground as their stomach bleeded out, the pain of being shot overwriting the need to do anything else.

"What the fuck? This one has a gun!"

"Where did he get it?"

"Doesn't matter, just get him in and go!"

He kicked and screamed, hoping that someone would save him. There were so many people passing by, but all of them turned their heads away and pretended not to see. In that moment, he hated the uncaring world for turning a blind eye to his suffering. He should have known that the world that had supposedly recovered from despair was still a cold and cruel one.

One of Shuichi's kidnappers knocked the gun out of his grip. It flew away and landed on the pavement with a heavy clatter.

He had so many lingering regrets. He wished he took his uncle to his parents' grave and put a proper headstone there sooner, along with some offerings to help their souls pass on peacefully. He wished he worked harder to find his friends from his previous school. He wished he got to know DICE better, before they scattered. He wished-

He wished he had given in to Kokichi last night. He wished he went after Kokichi when he went back to the DICE headquarters. He wished his last words to Kokichi were not as harsh as they were. Now Shuichi would never get the chance to see his boyfriend, let alone apologize and make up with him. He hoped Kokichi would not think that he hated him, that he knew he loved him-

He thought he heard Kokichi scream his name, but he was knocked out before he could process the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm obviously not gay (I'm female), so forgive me if the slightly sexy scene comes out wrong. The reason this chapter took so long to come out is because of this goddamn scene. I just can't write smut, okay? It's just... AAAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> There's a sequel to this from Amami's POV. Since it's technically pre-canon, we all know how it ends.
> 
> Badly.
> 
> Also, I'm going on a semi-hiatus until the end of January because of finals. I say I won't update anything but I know myself. I write to relieve stress. You can hope for an update but I won't give any promises.
> 
> See you guys next year! Or tomorrow, depending on how stressed I am lmao.


End file.
